Response to the Proposed Waste Discharge Regulation

On October 21, 2003 the BC government passed its Bill 57, the Environmental Management Act. Bill 57 replaces BC's main pollution law, the Waste Management Act, with a new regime that is part of the BC government's deregulation initiative. It is expected that Bill 57 will eliminate about 80% or more of existing waste permits. However, the Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection is currently requesting comments on the proposed Waste Discharge Regulation-a regulation which would be created under the new Act. This Regulation provides a higher level of detail about what can be expected in BC as a result of the new Act, and this backgrounder is intended both to inform the public on the implications of the Regulation, and to provide recommendations to Government on how the Regulation could be improved.